Friendship
by Anei Aikouka
Summary: Inspired by a high-school comic I read, I took the concept of the Final Fantasy characters in a high-school setting and ran with it.


Friendship – Complete

An explanation and side-story for the high school comic Final Fantasy High on smackjeeves.

Prologue – In which Sephiroth explains why he acted like such a dick

Sitting in the waiting room waiting for Cid to call him in again Sephiroth found himself questioning his current plan. Hojo barely seemed to notice his falling grades and the constant stream of complaints from the teachers. It was beginning to frighten him, considering that the man had always been insistent that his son was a genius, pushing Sephiroth into studying at home in addition to his usual training whenever they moved and had to switch schools again. What was Hojo planning for him that he didn't even care that Sephiroth was falling below his usually exacting standards?

The frustration and anticipation of Hojo's next experiment almost convinced Sephiroth to abandon his plan, but the acting that he was doing was... surprisingly relaxing. Zack had been right, as usual, when he'd told Sephiroth that he needed to find some way to vent his emotions – although he didn't think that this was what his friend had intended. Still, the minor relief of being viewed as just another delinquent student, and of being able to yell at people when he was angry – albeit in a carefully unintelligent manner – wasn't worth the added stress of worry over what his father was thinking.

He missed Zack. The cheerful youth was the only person he'd ever really been able to think of as a friend, and so of course Shinra had to find out about him and force his father to move Sephiroth to another school as far away from the one he had been going to as possible. With a silent snarl at the circular pattern of his thoughts, Sephiroth rose and stalked into the headmaster's office. He hated feeling helpless.

Part 1 – In which Cloud meets Zack

When Cloud bumped into the strange, spiky-haired teen wandering through school grounds his first reaction was fear. The guy was both taller and broader than he was, and the glowing violet eyes marked him as one of the SOLDIERS, a frightening group willing to dare the madness and death that could result from mako use in order to gain the incredible strength that the survivors displayed. Cloud ruthlessly shoved away the envious pang that shot through him at the sight. He would have cheerfully risked health, life, and sanity for the chance to be a SOLDIER, to belong to their close-knit group, to be strong enough to stand up for himself, and most of all for the chance to be somebody who _mattered_. It was an impossible dream. The only way to get hold of mako was through the SOLDIERS, and the ones that he'd met had made it clear that he was scum, a victim, not anyone who could hope for more.

Backing up hurriedly, Cloud opened his mouth to stammer out an apology, but was forestalled by the SOLDIER's cheerful grin. "You're a student here, right?" the SOLDIER asked. Cloud nodded and the other's smile increased a few watts. "Great! You can show me around then." He held out a hand. "I'm Zack Fair."

Hesitantly, Cloud took the outstretched hand, unable to prevent himself from returning the infectious grin. "Cloud Strife. Nice to meet you." And then, knowing that there had to be some reason for the SOLDIER to have come to this school, "Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Someone actually," Zack responded with an unrepentant grin. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. I don't suppose you know Sephiroth? He's got impossibly long white hair, green eyes, glasses?"

Cloud stared at him, open-mouthed. "Yeah, I know him. Everyone knows him. You mean he actually has friends?"

Zack flinched at the words, then visibly recovered himself. "Well, he has me. We were friends in school last year, but then his parents pulled him out halfway through the semester and I haven't seen him since." After a moment Zack perked up again, and began chattering cheerfully at Cloud as the smaller boy guided him through the halls in search of the silver-haired terror. Zack's bright presence at his side lightened Cloud's mood, making him think that perhaps this time he'd be able to say the right thing and make up for his disastrous first impression. He'd come to admire the strange, aloof teen, and wished that he could do erase the disgust on Sephiroth's face whenever he looked at Cloud. He'd never quite managed to work up the courage to actually approach him and do something about it, however. Maybe now that Zack was beside him he'd actually be able to speak to him.

Far too soon for Cloud's peace of mind they came close enough for Cloud to make out the silver banner of Sephiroth's hair, and Cloud started to back up despite his resolution, feeling the familiar sense of inadequacy in the face of Sephiroth's coolly uncaring perfection. Staring at the tall, shining figure Cloud remembered once again the words that Sephiroth had thrown in his face on that first day. _I'd never stoop so low as to be associated with someone like you_.

Zack wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a seemingly loose and casual gesture that Cloud couldn't escape and tugged the smaller boy closer to the one he'd claimed as a friend. Cloud stopped struggling, too mortified to do anything but shrink into himself, trying to make himself as small as possible. It was hard to do with Zack grinning and waving like a maniac. "Seph!" The maniac yelled, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. Cloud wished he could sink into the floor as Sephiroth whirled around, eyes widening, and then his thought processes completely derailed as the teen smiled, a slow, almost disbelieving expression that brightened into brilliance as Zack dragged Cloud closer to him.

"Zack." Sephiroth's voice was deep, rich, and contended, posture relaxing as his friend came up to him. "It's been a while."

Nodding, Zack looked vaguely guilty. "I would have come sooner, but I didn't know where you were. I'd almost decided to go see if I could coerce Hojo into letting me see you when someone mentioned that they'd seen someone near here that looked like you."

"It's hardly your fault," Sephiroth said mildly, turning his attention to Cloud, eyes sharp and piercing. Cloud froze, barely even breathing as the taller boy stared at him. It felt as though the glowing green eyes could see right through him, exposing all his insufficiencies and insecurities, and Cloud couldn't _think_.

He sagged when Sephiroth finally looked away, and would have fallen if Zack's arm hadn't tightened to support him. Without those glowing eyes staring into him he felt light, empty, as though he'd been hollowed out from the inside and then released. He wanted to shrink away, to hide, but when he forced himself to look at Sephiroth again, the other's expression was neutral, not disapproving or condemning, and he slowly relaxed, something deep inside him unwinding with relief. He hadn't realized before just how much Sephiroth's condemnation of him had hurt.

Sephiroth looked mildly amused as he turned his attention back to his friend. "Let Strife go, Zack." Zack looked from Cloud's desperately pleading eyes to Sephiroth's own inscrutably neutral expression and sighed.

"You two are no fun at all," Zack pouted, releasing Cloud. "I _am_ going to get both of you to party together sometime." Cloud found himself sharing a look of perfect understanding with Sephiroth before he fled.

Part 02 – In which the plot begins to take shape

After the first meeting, Zack made it his goal to get Cloud and Sephiroth to talk with one another. They were alike enough that he was certain they'd get along if he could only get past Cloud's shyness and insecurity and Sephiroth's stubborn insistence that he didn't need anyone else. He actually thought he could convince Seph to put up with him dragging Cloud along, especially since the boy was nearly as reserved as Sephiroth himself, requiring repeated coaxing in order to actually talk. The problem lay in Cloud.

Zack shook his head. Cloud and Sephiroth were too alike for their own good. Both of them were desperately lonely, but neither one thought that there was any hope to reach out for. It had taken Zack weeks to get Sephiroth to even tolerate his presence near him, and he still hadn't managed to completely break through the shell that Sephiroth had built around himself. He wanted to be able to do the same thing for Cloud. The boy was so lonely it was painful to watch him tagging along behind his 'friends', permitted to stay with them, but never really accepted as part of the group.

So that was why Zack was once again dragging an unwilling Cloud to where Sephiroth and Aeris waited for them both. He'd originally been planning a simple date, just him and Aeris at the local theme park, but then Aeris had suggested that he bring 'those friends you want to meet each other' along with them and do his best to make them feel as though they had to entertain each other so that he and Aeris could be alone. It was devious and rather mean. Zack liked it. Now he just needed to get the others to cooperate.

Huffing in exasperation, Zack dropped his protesting burden in front of his friend, and watched as Cloud looked up, saw Sephiroth – and froze. Zack sighed. At least that made it easier to keep Cloud from running away, but he did wish the kid would learn to relax around Sephiroth at least a little. That would make this a lot easier.

Sephiroth blinked at him, then at the boy on the floor, and finally sighed and extended a hand to Cloud, helping the smaller boy to his feet. Zack frowned. Sephiroth looked especially inscrutable today, something that Zack had learned concealed unhappiness. And since he wasn't one to hide what he felt, he spoke up, forestalling Cloud's attempt at flight with a hand on his arm. "What's the matter Seph?"

A frown preceded the mild answer, "It's nothing important, Zack." Sephiroth glanced at Cloud and added, in an obvious attempt to change the subject, "You said that there was something special about today?"

Zack grimaced, but let him get away with it. Sephiroth would never forget it if he called him out in front of Cloud. "We're going to a theme-park!" He said cheerfully. "Aeris and I are going to pay for your tickets and the four of us are going to go on all the rides together."

Cloud looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. Sephiroth was frowning at him thoughtfully, with an edge of wariness that Zack had thought he'd banished from his eyes months ago. "All right," Sephiroth said abruptly, startling him and Cloud both. "Let's go."

"Yay!" Zack cheered, throwing his arms around his friends' shoulders. He didn't know why Sephiroth had agreed so easily, but he wasn't going to let this chance get away from him. Sephiroth didn't often take time to do something that was simply fun.

Now that he had Sephiroth's tacit acceptance, Cloud had stopped fighting to get away and was grinning shyly at the both of them as Zack steered them to his car. He'd just bought her and he was extremely proud of her. Admittedly she was old, but he'd repainted her, and she ran, even if she did make odd noises occasionally. Sephiroth took a seat in the back, ceding the front seat to Aeris, who was waiting by the car, and Cloud sat next to Sephiroth looking as though he were about to faint. Zack shook his head at them and started the car. This was going to be great, and he wasn't going to let the idiots dampen his mood.

The car ride was very silent. Aeris tried to fill the gap left by Cloud and Sephiroth being loudly _silent_ in the back seat, but Zack couldn't spare any attention from the road, and the oppressive silence swallowed up her speech. By the time they reached the park Zack was exasperated. Even Sephiroth should know better than to be this quiet.

Zack cheered up when they started on the rides. The speed and the adrenaline – and Aeris' warmth at his side, her soft hand in his – were exhilarating. Even Cloud had loosed up enough to smile and whoop as the latest roller coaster spun them upside down. Everything was perfect. Until Sephiroth vanished.

One minute he'd been next to Cloud, the tall presence impossible to miss, the next he had vanished completely. Zack was not amused. Fortunately it didn't take much effort to convince Cloud to help him look for his friend, and of course Aeris was willing to help.

It was Cloud who finally found him. Or rather, Sephiroth found Cloud, and the two of them had collected the others. Once they were together again, Zack crossed his arms and glared at Sephiroth. "Mind telling me what that was about?" he asked angrily.

Sephiroth looked away. "Something turned up." he answered vaguely. "I have to go."

"What?" Zack lost his temper. "You vanished on us, drove us half mad with worry, and now you won't even explain what's going on? Come _on_ Seph!" Sephiroth stuck his hands in his pockets and stared back at him, expressionless.

"I'll go away," Cloud volunteered suddenly. "If you don't want me to know whatever it is I'll go away."

That got Sephiroth's attention, and he shook his head. "No, it's... I'll tell you later. But not here."

Still furious, Zack nodded. "Well, we're not going to be able to enjoy the rest of the day anyway. Let's go home, and you can explain things to us in the car." Sephiroth gave Aeris a dubious glance, but he was smart enough not to argue.

"All right," Zack growled, ten minutes later, driving them back the way they had come. "Explain."

"Well," Sephiroth began, obviously uncomfortable, "There's a lot of history behind it which I'm not going to explain, but essentially someone tried to get me to go along with an attempted kidnapping by telling me that I have brothers I don't know about."

That... was not what Zack had been expecting. "So," he asked cautiously, "What are you going to do about it?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "I'm going to convince my father to help me find them, and then I'm going to kidnap them and bring them home with me."

Silence fell. Finally Cloud asked timidly, "Are you sure that he was telling the truth?" He flushed when Sephiroth looked over at him, but didn't take back the question.

Sephiroth gave him an approving smile and handed him a photograph he'd had in his pocket. "It could be doctored, I suppose," he admitted quietly, "but it's not something I'm willing to take a chance on."

That, at least, Zack could understand. On the other hand – "You sound as though the kidnapping is a normal thing."

"It is." Sephiroth shrugged. "You don't think we moved so often because we enjoyed it did you? This has been going on since I was five." He shook his head in negation when Zack shot him a questioning look. "It has to do with SOLDIER. That's as much as I'm willing to say with her in the car."

Zack's brows rose in speculation. He'd objected to Aeris, but not to Cloud. This was progress. Changing directions, he headed towards Aeris' house. "Do you mind if I drop you off first?" He asked her, not really wanting to leave her so soon.

"Go on," she told him fondly. "You need to help your friends." Aeris gave him one of her brilliant smiles. "I'll still be here when you're finished."

Aeris gone, Zack waited for his explanation. "You know that mako is a new and incredibly complex enhancement drug." Sephiroth began, glancing at Cloud unhappily. "And Zack already knows that it's my father who produces it." Cloud looked like he'd been walloped over the head with a board. "What no one's supposed to know is that my father is the one who created it – and that he did so as part of an experiment in gene manipulation. He was working for a company that wanted to produce a super-soldier." Zack bit his tongue as he realized what Seph was working up to. His own father had experimented on him?

"It took him a long time to come up with something that didn't kill his subjects immediately, but once he did that he began experimenting on manipulating the genetic structure of already living beings. The problem was that their traits were already too far ingrained and they tended to die on him. Father noticed that the younger his subjects were the more likely they were to survive, and he ended up using me as a subject while I was still less than a month old." Sephiroth shrugged dismissively. "There were a lot of things he didn't know at that point, which is why I ended up needing glasses, but essentially he succeeded. The problem is that the company he was working for at the time wanted to control me more than he found acceptable, so he ran off with me when I was five. Unfortunately it appears that he left enough genetic material for clones to be made, although from what little the picture shows, they're all imperfect copies." He smiled fondly. "Father always was paranoid about people stealing his work."

"Right." Zack said, a little dazedly. "So let me get this straight. You're some kind of super soldier and people are trying to kidnap you to make you work for them or to steal your DNA or something, and these same people have cloned you so now you've got clones running around wreaking havoc, and you're not weirded out by any of this?"

Sephiroth smiled at him in the mirror. "I grew up with it. And – they're brothers, all right?" That had an edge of loneliness to it that made Zack's decision for him. If Sephiroth wanted brothers he could have them.

"Right." Zack agreed, then took a look at Cloud's face. The kid looked determined, and if the hero-worship was doubled as he looked at Seph that was all right. Sephiroth needed someone who would look up to him, and he seemed to have decided to trust Zack's judgment about Cloud. "So then what do we have to do?"

Sephiroth gave him a sharp look. "_We_ don't do anything. _I_ am going to see what I can get out of my father and work on convincing him to help me get them out of there." His eyes flickered for a moment behind the thick lenses. "I don't remember much about the time that I spent there, but I remember enough to know that I don't want my brothers living like that."

"You cannot tell us that much and then expect us not to help." Zack's voice was firm.

There was a pause as Sephiroth looked at Cloud, who stared back at him stubbornly. "You might be able to help," he finally admitted to Zack, "But Cloud's not enhanced."

"I could be," Cloud said quietly, and Zack heard how much it cost him to say it.

"It'll probably be a while before you can go in anyway," Zack agreed quietly. "Cloud could go through the mako enhancements while you wait."

"Perhaps." Sephiroth's voice was noncommittal, but when Zack pulled up in front of his door he motioned them both to come in. Zack and Cloud waited in the living room while Sephiroth vanished further into the house, and several minutes later Hojo appeared in the doorway, pushing small glasses further up his nose as he peered at his guests.

"Yes, yes, he'll do, I suppose," he said distractedly. "Come on boy."

Zack winced. Hojo was creepy, scurrying around in that lab coat all hunched over. He reminded Zack of an over-sized bug that needed to be squashed. But Sephiroth nodded at Cloud, who brightened immediately and followed the scientist further into the house. Sephiroth stopped Zack from following him with a shake of the head, and sat down to wait for the boy's return.

"Are you sure he'll be all right?" Zack asked, worrying for the kid now that it was too late. Mako wasn't a gentle mistress.

"He should be." Sephiroth's certainty was comforting. "Father's been improving the mixture."

Cloud was stumbling and uncertain when Hojo led him back, and Zack had to support him out, but he looked happy despite the obvious signs of pain, and Sephiroth settled him into the car easily enough, saying a quiet goodbye that made the boy light up like a Christmas tree. Zack tucked him into bed at his house, frowning over the fact that there was no one there to stay with him, but there really wasn't anything anyone could do at this stage anyway, and Cloud was quite insistent that he should leave. When Zack finally let himself be persuaded to leave the kid alone, he went back to Aeris. He needed to clear his head, and she was always good at helping him do that.

Part 03 – Cloud

It took nearly a week before Cloud felt well enough to go back to school. He hadn't told his mother why he was so sick, but she hadn't really asked. She'd just called the school to tell them he wouldn't be coming in and then pretended that there was nothing wrong. It was a relief to get back to school.

People stared at his eyes, glowing faintly with mako, and he felt happier and more alive than he could remember having been for a long time. Sephiroth had trusted him with his secret. Even more, Sephiroth thought that he could be useful now that he had the mako enhancements. He wasn't just humoring him the way Tifa did; he really thought that Cloud was good for something.

Cloud looked for him, and _felt_ him. Just on the edges of his mind there was a _presence_, impossible to miss. He wondered if all SOLDIERS felt Sephiroth like that. Then the other came into view and Cloud sucked in a harsh breath. He looked like he hadn't slept at all in the week that Cloud had been out, but more than that, he was glowing faintly. Cloud reached out to touch him and saw the green reflected on his hand.

"Sephiroth?" He began quietly, seeing the glowing eyes turned to him, and froze again for a moment as he looked into those eyes and saw the pupils shrunk into cat-like slits. He started again, brain scrambling for an explanation. "Sephiroth? Did you know you're glowing?"

Those inhuman eyes blinked at him, and then the glow vanished, cut off as though it had never been, and the sense of _presence_ in the back of Cloud's mind vanished. "Thank you," Sephiroth said quietly, nodding at him. "I'll see you after school," And then the youth slipped past him, on the way to his next class.

Cloud went through his classes in a sort of daze, barely noticing Tifa's hovering over him, not really registering anything that his teachers said. The mako in his blood burned, and he kept reaching out for that sense of _Sephiroth _that flickered in and out of his mind. After school, he reminded himself over and over again. He'd figure it out after school.

After school took forever to come. It felt like years before he was finally sitting in Zack's car with the other two listening as Sephiroth explained their current position. Hojo had discovered the location at which the three clones were being held, and Sephiroth had a copy of the guard schedule. Now all they needed was a plan – and a good night's sleep, Zack had added – and they could head out.

Sephiroth nodded in reluctant agreement to Zack's demand. "It will take several days to get there," he said quietly. "We'll take the train; Hojo's arranged for tickets for the four of us -"

"Wait," Zack interjected. "Four? Hojo's coming too?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "He's coming as far as the outside of the building anyway. I believe he intends to act as a getaway driver. He's certainly not coming in with us. Father has far too well-developed a sense of self-preservation for that, especially since the plan we're likely to end up with is: get in there, kill everyone in the way, and get back out."

Cloud winced. He'd never killed anyone before. He'd seen that picture, however. What had been done to those people was not right. And if Sephiroth said they had to kill people, he'd follow his lead. No matter what.

That thought stayed with him as he went home and got his things together, preparing for a long stint away from home. Zack picked him up the next morning and drove them to the train, leaving Aeris to drive his car back as they met the other two on the station. It was on the train that the first obstacle was brought up.

"So," Sephiroth said mildly, the larger of his two bags sitting beside him. "Do you actually know how to fight?" Zack raised his head, looking indignant, and Sephiroth shook his head at him. "Yes, I know you can, Zack. I've seen you fight, remember? I was asking Cloud."

"I –" Cloud stammered, "Not really. I mean, I know a little but –"

Sephiroth nodded, as if that were what he'd expected. "We're stopping at a hotel tonight," he said quietly. "I'll teach you how to handle a gun."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Zack interjected, looking incredulous.

"Not as much so as leaving him unarmed. A few hours isn't enough to make anyone a crack shot, but it's enough to make sure he won't shoot himself in the foot. Given the layout we have here all that he'll have to do is shoot straight ahead and with the narrow corridors he's sure to hit something."

"Besides," Cloud put in, backing up Sephiroth automatically, "At least the first part is going to be spent trying not to draw attention, which means I really shouldn't be shooting a gun anyway." Hojo snorted derisively from his corner where he was going over his papers, but didn't say anything.

"So," Cloud started hesitantly, "What was up with the glowing yesterday?"

Sephiroth's fists clenched on his lap. "A temporary side effect." His voice was dismissive, but his expression was too impassive, and Cloud looked away, sorry he'd asked.

"You should practice with it as we travel," Hojo put in, and there was a note of proprietary pride in his voice that made Cloud think better of him, even if he was creepy. Sephiroth nodded, and turned his attention to his hands, which began to glow with that strange green light that Cloud had seen yesterday. Zack looked from father to son and sighed. Cloud smiled at him, understanding. They were both too engrossed in their work to notice anything else.

Part 04 – Zack

Sephiroth was a pale shadow in front of him, moving noiselessly through the maze of corridors. He made Zack feel clumsy and loud, and the noise of Cloud's footsteps behind him sounded like an elephant to Zack's straining ears. Everything had gone as planned so far, and Zack was still waiting for the other shoe to fall.

They were almost there now, and Zack was nervously trying not to fidget. Things couldn't possibly go this smoothly. Admittedly, Sephiroth had said that the first part would be the easy part, but even so it wasn't possible for it to be this easy.

They'd reached the door, and Sephiroth punched in the 10-digit code for the door, consulting the paper Hojo had given them with all the codes. This was the fourth time he'd had to use it. The door beeped at him and slid open, and Zack got his first look at the kids they'd come to rescue. There were three of them, all with Sephiroth's white hair and green eyes. The eldest was muscular, with short white hair and a metal pile bunker on one arm, and a miserable expression on his face. The one in the center looked rather girlish, with long hair trailing over his shoulders and a gun in one hand that he swung to point at the door with a grim expression. What really caught his attention, however, was the youngest. He couldn't be more than thirteen, and the white hair that hung over his face couldn't obscure a spectacular black eye.

The gun clattered on the floor as the teen dropped it, staring at Sephiroth in disbelief. There was an expectant pause, and then the eldest flung himself at Sephiroth. "You're here! Look, Eldest Brother is here!"

Sephiroth's eyes had widened when the other began his leap, but he caught the teen, wincing slightly as the outstretched hand hit his side, and smiled uncertainly. "You knew about me then?" He asked quietly, looking down at the boy. "I didn't even know you existed until last week." He didn't wait for an answer, glancing up the empty corridor. "Look, I came to get you out of here. If you want to leave, we have to go now."

"Let's get out of here!" The youngest said, leaping to his feet and snatching a sword that lay beside his narrow bed. "Come on!" Accepting his lead, the others quickly made their way out of the room and Sephiroth nodded, face relaxing for the first time, and Zack realized that he really hadn't been sure whether his brothers would want to come with him.

"This way," Sephiroth said quietly, herding them along the corridor they had just come through as alarms started pealing through the building. The boys looked alarmed at the sound, but Sephiroth gestured them onward. "I expected this. We'll probably have to fight our way out, but the security's already been breached, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Look, as I said, I really don't know anything about you except that you're my brothers, so would you mind telling me your names?"

"I'm Kadaj," the youngest said self-importantly, interrupting the eldest clone. "And this is Souba." He held up his sword proudly.

Zack blinked at the double-bladed katana the kid held in disbelief. "I've never seen a sword like that. Is it actually useful? I mean, swords are supposed to be thin so they can cut through things, and that's really not." The kid was glaring at him and had stopped moving so he shut up. "All right, all right, let's keep moving okay?"

Kadaj looked at Sephiroth, who nodded coolly, and the kid slipped his hand into Seph's larger one trustingly. "And this is Loz, and this is Yazoo," he added cheerfully, pointing first at the oldest clone, then at the girly one, who had his gun in hand again and was looking around watchfully as they followed Sephiroth's directions.

They'd gotten about halfway out, running at an enhanced speed that had Cloud, the least used of all of them to the mako treatments and his new limits, gasping for breath, before they ran into the first squad of guards. Sephiroth had shot two before Zack had really registered that they were there, and Yazoo followed his example instantly, lining up shots with perfect precision. After a moment of stunned immobility Cloud reached for his gun, but by the time he'd managed to fumble it out there was no one left alive to shoot.

Sephiroth stepped over the bodies and kept going, and somehow Zack managed to do the same thing, although he felt like throwing up. He'd never seen a dead body before.

The next group they ran into took them by surprise. Cloud went down with a trooper on top of him, and Zack jumped on the man's back before he had time to think, reacting purely by instinct as he wrenched the gun out of the man's hands and hit him over the head with it, trying to pry him off Cloud. Something slammed into his shoulder, and he jerked forwards in time to see a severed head fly past him and hit the wall. Then it was all over, and Sephiroth was pulling him off the man he'd killed so he could free Cloud from the tangle, and Zack turned toward the wall and threw up.

Bile coated his mouth and he retched again, before Sephiroth pulled him to his feet. "Do that later." the teen ordered coolly. "It's not safe here."

Somehow Zack managed to pull himself together enough to follow the others through the corridors and out into the clean air once again, but when they all piled into the van that Hojo had acquired to drive them back to the hotel he lost it, pulling his legs to his chin and shaking, teeth chattering too hard to speak. An arm wrapped around him and he was pulled against a warm body and held until he stopped shaking enough to drop into an exhausted sleep.

Part 05 – Loz

His first sight of Hojo had terrified him. The man, in his lab coat and with his brisk, scientific manner, had made him think that he was moving from one lab to another, that maybe they hadn't been rescued at all, just traded one hell for another. Then the man had smiled at Sephiroth, and Zack had started shaking, and he'd just given up on thinking for a while.

But Sephiroth had held him, and whatever else was going on, Loz was sure that their eldest brother cared about them. He wouldn't let them be hurt too much, at least. Shivering slightly, he curled up between his brothers, watching as Sephiroth glanced up at him from the other side of the train compartment. He smiled trustingly at his brother, relaxing further at the smile that spread into the other's eyes in return. Yes, Sephiroth would take care of them.

They were almost back to the place that Sephiroth called 'home' now. A few hours more by train, and they would be there. "You're glowing again," Kadaj said sulkily from his shoulder. "I can feel you in my head. How do you do that?"

Loz blinked in surprise. He'd felt the odd glow of Sephiroth's presence flickering off and on again in his mind, but he hadn't thought to ask about it. The doctors had never liked it when he asked questions. Sephiroth didn't seem to mind when Kadaj asked, though.

"It's an experimental enhancement my father designed." He said mildly. "I haven't yet gained complete control, but it is supposed to be able to act as a physical extension of my will, allowing me to form weapons out of mako energy."

"Cool," Kadaj breathed, eyes alight. "Can we get that too?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "It doesn't work properly yet. Father's going to have to make some changes before it's actually useful, but you can ask him. I suspect he's going to have to figure out what differences there are in our DNA first, though. This isn't something that he could try on just anyone."

"So," Loz asked hesitantly, "Does this mean we'll be staying in a lab?" If Kadaj had been allowed to ask questions then maybe he would be as well.

"Ah," Sephiroth looked taken aback for a moment. "Father has one, yes, and as I said, he'll probably want to run a few tests. But we don't live there. It's attached to the back of the house. Father and I do our best to live as much like normal people as possible."

Cloud's head lifted from where he was arguing furiously with Zack over whether or not the seats were impossible to get comfortable on. "Does that mean they'll be coming to school with us?"

"We'll see," Sephiroth said, glancing at Hojo. "There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration."

"What kind of things?" Zack asked, with a suspicious glance at Hojo.

"We need to determine their current level of education. We need to establish safeguards, as Shinra has apparently become aware of our current location, to ensure that they cannot be recaptured, and we need to be certain that their social abilities are such that they can pass unnoticed within a school structure." Hojo told him coolly.

"Well Seph goes to school, and he doesn't have any of these safeguards." Zack objected.

Sephiroth lifted his head to look at his friend. "Zack, I never go anywhere unarmed, and my father is aware that I am skilled enough to fight off anyone who may be sent to grab me. Once the same has been ensured for my brothers their safety will no longer be an obstacle to living a life as ordinary as possible, but I will not have them abducted simply because I have failed to take the proper precautions."

"Is school fun?" Kadaj asked, accepting Sephiroth's strictures without batting an eyelash.

"Well it can be." Cloud hedged.

"What are the dangers of attending school?" Yazoo spoke up for the first time, eyes fixed on Sephiroth, and Loz listened closely. Yazoo never said anything that wasn't important.

Sephiroth frowned and answered with another question. "What do you know about school as of now?"

"Schools are places where lots of people go to study together," Yazoo responded easily. "It doesn't sound dangerous."

"No?" Sephiroth's brows rose. "It shouldn't be for you, not directly, but the crowds of students provide good cover, and it can be difficult to find an opponent in the mess. The problems Strife was referring to are not dangerous so much as irritating. With so many people all forced into the same place, factions tend to arise, and some of these attempt to make themselves look more powerful by victimizing others. Most often such people are simply a nuisance, using insults to make others look weaker, but sometimes they will try to escalate into physical violence. The challenge in such cases is not to defeat your opponent, since very few of these bullies are enhanced, but to defeat them in such a way as not to display just how strong you are."

"All right," Yazoo agreed thoughtfully. Loz grinned. That sounded like a good assignment. The people he played with always broke too easily. It would be good to know how to make them not break when he played.

Loz still didn't understand why they should try to be normal, but he was used to not understanding things. Yazoo seemed to understand, and Kadaj was practically bouncing with glee, so there had to be something he was missing. Whatever they were supposed to do, Loz supposed it had to be all right. After all, it was as their eldest brother wished, and he seemed to know everything.

Part 06 – Hojo

Hojo was delighted with the results of their rescue attempt. Sephiroth was happier, and more willing to submit to his further experimentation as he refined the process of creating a solidly physical extension of the will, he had three more subjects to work with, and further they were clones of Sephiroth whose DNA was surprisingly different in places, which made simply creating their gene maps a new discovery, and he had been able to replenish his more esoteric supplies while the teens had been busy without arousing suspicion. All in all a most satisfactory result.

He was less pleased about actually having to deal with three more 'sons'. Arranging papers for them and a cover story about his younger sons having been hidden from him by a second wife was the easy part, especially as no one wished to spend enough time in his presence to grill him on the sudden appearance of three younger sons. Much more irritating was the day-to-day interference of the three in his work.

Kadaj was settling into his role as spoiled youngest son far too well for Hojo's liking, and although the boy submitted easily to Hojo's tests and provided a much-needed sparring partner for his son, outside the lab his behavior was becoming a problem. Hojo was sure that Sephiroth had never acted so childish, nor had be ever been so resistant to correction. Kadaj refused to obey anyone but Sephiroth himself, and he certainly didn't care about the wishes of his newly adopted father. The boy was loudly, obnoxiously noisy, and he insisted on carrying his sword with him everywhere he went, which made it impossible for Hojo to send him to school so that he could get some peace.

Yazoo made a much more satisfactory house guest, although Hojo reminded himself that these were not guests. Sephiroth had adopted them as his brothers, and therefore Hojo would have to tolerate their presence in his life. At least the middle brother was appropriately deferential, and the teen's quick, logical mind made him a wonderfully receptive student. Soon Hojo would be able to enroll him in the same high school Sephiroth attended, preferably in the same class as his elder brother.

Loz was not too bright, having trouble understanding some basic concepts, although he was far ahead of the average in others. Hopefully Yazoo would be able to keep him at least on the same level as his age-mates. The middle clone had more patience with him than Hojo did, and seemed to be able to understand his elder brother far better.

More importantly, their location had been compromised, as the attack which had provided the information to begin the clones' rescue had proven. This would not have been so much of a problem if it weren't for Sephiroth's stubborn insistence on staying where they were. Hojo supposed it was his own fault. He should have realized that sending Sephiroth to a school that was not completely dedicated to learning would expose him to others' influence. It was only fortunate that it had taken so long to happen.

Hojo's eyes narrowed as he formed and discarded plans. Eventually he decided that there was no helping it. He would have to step his plans up faster than he had planned. Fortunately he was on schedule currently, and the new serum he had created and was perfecting would certainly help, but he had hoped not to be forced to do this until Sephiroth had graduated from high school and was thus less conspicuous. He certainly couldn't move ahead now, not while his experiment was unfinished, and certainly not until he was satisfied as to the capacities of the clones that Sephiroth had adopted and the two SOLDIERS that he had seen fit to bring into the group.

Perhaps if he worked quickly he could have everything in place to execute the first move over Christmas break. Sephiroth would want to celebrate with his newly acquired brothers, but that could be arranged so as not to interfere too greatly with his plans. Satisfied, Hojo turned his attention back to the mixture he was preparing. Soon, everything would be ready.

Part 07 – Loz

Loz didn't like school. The teachers wanted him to answer questions about stupid things like history and to care about a bunch of stupid stories people had written. Yazoo seemed to like reading the stories, but Loz thought it was a waste of time. At the lab they had been taught what they would need to know in order to survive in the world, and in order to take out their targets – whatever those targets might be. He'd hated it, but at least he'd known why they were learning things.

He'd asked Sephiroth why they were learning about stuff like Shakespeare, and world history, and Sephiroth had told him that some people got paid to write papers about them, but that they weren't of any practical value to him and his brothers, so he only needed to learn them well enough to do well on his tests. So Loz had asked why he needed to do well on the tests and Sephiroth had shrugged and told him that the government had rules about people needing to stay in school until they'd passed all the tests. Kadaj got to stay home and do his tests over the Internet because he was the youngest and couldn't use a gun well enough for it to be safe for him to go out without another weapon, but he and Yazoo had to go to school.

The only good thing about school was that he was in the same class as Cloud and Yazoo, so at least he wasn't alone in the class of strangers who didn't seem to care about anything other than whether the people around them liked them. It was a strange way to live, Loz thought, not worrying about what experiments the scientists wanted to try on you this time, or whether Jenova would finally give up on making you into the person she wanted you to be and have you disposed of. He thought that if Sephiroth hadn't given them all something new to worry about and look out for then he would be completely lost. Watching the other students and people who passed by trying to see which of them might be a Shinra spy was the only thing that kept him from snapping during some of the long school days. It was always a relief to get back home and throw himself into his new training program.

Sometimes the computer hologram system would provide his opponent, and sometimes he'd fight one of his brothers, but what he liked best was when all four of them would fight together. It didn't matter whether they were in the simulator and fighting together against their opponents or whether they were just in the back yard in an all-out battle royal, it always ended with the four of them collapsing, breathless, just being together. That was what Loz liked best.

In the labs, no matter what they were doing they couldn't relax. There was always the possibility that someone would come in and they would be taken off and experimented on or paraded before Jenova to show how much they'd learned, or put through more training, or worse. Here, however, they could feel safe. It was all right to just relax and sit or stand and simply look around at his brothers. If anyone wanted to hurt them they'd have to go through Sephiroth first, and their eldest brother was the strongest and best of any of them.

Hojo was planning something for them, he knew, but he didn't mind. It was something that Sephiroth approved of, and it didn't seem to involve experimenting on them much, although he was doing that too. That was all right, though. Loz was used to being experimented on, and Hojo wanted to keep him as himself, just stronger, not turn him into Sephiroth. Loz hadn't wanted to be Sephiroth. He'd always wanted to be himself, but strong enough to keep everyone from hurting his brothers. Now, though, he thought he might want to be like Sephiroth after all.

Part 08 – Tifa

Tifa crossed her arms and glared at the group sitting around their lunch table. When Cloud had told her that he'd managed to get himself accepted into this school she'd been happy, and rather touched, if surprised. He'd never been very good at schoolwork, and the blush on his face when he'd confessed that he'd spent the year studying just so he could get into the same school as her was adorable.

Cloud was a sweetheart, and really cute once you got past the fact that his hair looked like he'd combed it with a rake. Tifa had been looking forward to showing him around the school, playing the older, more sophisticated sophomore to his confused freshman. And she had for a while. He'd been so cute, with his big, hopeful eyes and adorable shyness, and she'd enjoyed showing him off to her friends.

Everything had gone wrong after he got sick. Tifa had heard that he'd been ill, of course, and had worried about him occasionally as she went through school, but his mother had said that he was all right, just really tired all the time, and he'd come back the next week so she'd thought everything would be okay and he'd be back to normal. Then she'd gotten a look at his eyes.

Somehow her shy little Cloud had gotten into SOLDIER. It didn't make any sense to her. He'd never hung out with any of the SOLDIER gang before that she'd seen, and he didn't seem to do so now either. She'd tried to ask what was going on, but he'd just brushed her off, and when she'd finally excused herself from a party just so that she could go see him and ask him whether he was all right he wasn't there. His mother had just looked at her blankly when she asked where Cloud was, and told her that he was spending the weekend with some friends. The whole weekend! That's when she'd started really worrying about him.

After that weekend Sephiroth, the most talked about and most frightening kid in the school had suddenly acquired younger brothers, and Cloud had inexplicably become part of their group. Tifa wanted to be happy for him. After all, she knew that Cloud had always admired the SOLDIERS, and while Sephiroth didn't seem to really be part of any SOLDIER gang that she knew of, he was certainly one of them, with his glowing eyes and the respect all the SOLDIERS showed for him – respect that was now being extended to Cloud as a response to his acceptance by Sephiroth and his family. Yes, she wanted to think that this was a good thing, but she couldn't help but wonder.

Cloud had always been too easy to persuade into things. She'd taken advantage of him sometimes herself, pushing him to help her out with things she knew were going to get them in trouble, but it had never been anything important. What if that was what had happened with Sephiroth? The junior had always terrified her, and she'd heard stories about him that had made her wonder why he was even allowed in this school in the first place. Surely such a prestigious school had ways of screening applicants. Worse, after that weekend Cloud had started getting bruises all over, especially on his arms, like he'd been trying to protect himself.

She let herself be persuaded to pay attention to the story Rikku was telling about his latest conquest, but she kept glancing over at Cloud, surrounded by the silver-haired brothers and the SOLDIERS who had gathered around them like bees to honey. Cloud certainly seemed happy, but she couldn't trust it, and she didn't want to hurt him by confronting him about it. She knew what she had to do, but it was hard to screw up her nerve to actually confront Sephiroth.

Those creepy glowing green eyes seemed to pierce right through her as she finally cornered him after math class. Tifa swallowed hard, and glared at him, certain that he was doing it on purpose. No one could be that intimidating without trying. He probably practiced being scary in front of a mirror just to make certain he got the right effect.

Heartened by that thought, Tifa put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "What have you been doing to Cloud?" She demanded quietly, not wanting everyone to hear them. Yes, the halls were nearly deserted, all of the other students already in class, but the walls were thin enough that you could hear yelling right through a closed door. "He's ignoring all his friends, barely paying attention in classes, and he keeps getting new bruises on his arms, and it all started when he started hanging around you. What have you done to him?"

Sephiroth gave her a flatly unamused look and began ticking points off on his fingers. "He's got a new set of friends – one that doesn't ignore him whenever it's convenient for them. You only share one class with him so you're not really in a position to ascertain how much attention he pays, and level one Spanish is a joke. As for the bruises, he's begun learning martial arts." He frowned at her disapprovingly. "Look, I know he's not a really good friend of yours, but you could at least pretend to be happy for him now that he's finally found a place as part of a group rather than hanging around on the outskirts of yours. Just let him be." And he left her there, mouth hanging open, as he moved around her to get to his class.

Tifa stared after him in shock. Had she really been that selfish? She didn't think – she liked Cloud, really she did. He was cute, and funny, and he was a good friend. She just wanted him to be happy, and she didn't think that hanging out with Sephiroth and his friends was good for him. He wasn't like that. Cloud was a good person.

Still, she couldn't get what Sephiroth had said out of her mind. Had Cloud really felt like that? Had she made him feel as though he was an outsider? He'd never really talked to anyone else, but she'd assumed that he was just shy around a new group of people. Remembering the way he had smiled, and the obvious enthusiasm Cloud had shown talking to the brothers around the lunch table Tifa began to think that she had made a huge misjudgment.

Part 09 – Aeris

Aeris leaned out the window to watch as Cloud played tag with Loz and Yazoo. Zack had been careful not to tell her what they'd actually done beyond finding Sephiroth's younger brothers and bringing them back, but there had been more involved she could tell. Cloud was happier than she had ever seen him, but there was a new maturity in his eyes that she'd only seen in people who had stared death in the face. Whatever they'd done, it had been dangerous.

It felt rather strange being kept out of a part of Zack's life like this, and she didn't like the feeling. Frowning thoughtfully, Aeris watched as that Tifa girl that Cloud liked ran out to say something to the boys, sitting on the steps to watch her friend play with the young SOLDIERS. Well good, she thought, turning back to her work. It was about time the girl accepted that she wasn't the center of Cloud's world anymore. Hopefully it would help her grow up a bit too. She was a nice girl really, but far too spoiled for her own good. That she could see a friend grow past her and come to terms with that enough to be happy for him was a very good sign, and something that Aeris needed to work on herself.

Oh, she knew that Zack wasn't going to abandon her for Sephiroth's newly formed circle. If it were up to him she was certain that she would be a part of the group already, and he always looked far too uncomfortable when he had to keep secrets from her. She really was excluded, but it wasn't a malicious exclusion.

Making up her mind Aeris nodded decisively and went off to find Sephiroth, leaving a sign on the door to tell anyone who came by that she would be out for a while. She had to fix this.

When she found Sephiroth, the teen looked at her with a resigned expression and leaned against the wall, waiting for her. "I see you've been expecting me." Aeris said, keeping her expression light. She didn't want to scare him into seeing her as an enemy, and given his usual wariness that was all too likely to happen if she wasn't careful.

When he didn't respond to her gentle teasing she sighed and started again, this time getting straight to the point. "Whatever you're doing, I want to be part of it. I don't like being kept in the dark, but if you let me in on whatever it is that's going on I'll help you."

Sephiroth tipped his head to the side slightly. "Zack?" He asked her mildly, but she noted that his pupils had shrunk slightly.

"He won't tell me anything and it's not good for either of us." Sephiroth considered this for a moment before nodding agreement. She wondered whether the teacher would dare complain.

That had gone much better than she had feared. As usual with Sephiroth, it had been brief and to the point, but he had accepted her demand. She wasn't certain what exactly she'd be able to do to help them. She wasn't much of a fighter, and she knew that they were all stronger and faster than she was simply by virtue of the SOLDIER treatments that they'd undergone and that Cloud was still taking once a week. She was a nurse, so she could offer her services in that regard. Hojo may have been a famous genetic scientist, but that didn't mean he knew anything about healing. She wasn't certain exactly what effect the SOLDIER treatments had on healing, though, other than the fact that it was greatly enhanced.

When she'd first met Zack he'd gotten himself all scratched up once, helping her rescue a cat that had gotten stuck in a drain. She'd washed off the scratches and invited him back home with her so that she could clean them properly. He'd accepted, and by the time they'd reached her house she knew what that mischievous sparkle in his eyes had meant. The thinner scratches had completely vanished in the fifteen minutes it had taken her to drive back.

Given that much of an enhanced healing rate, it was possible that they wouldn't have any need for a nurse. Aeris shook her head at herself and went back to looking over medical records. She'd find some way to make herself useful. Even if it was only in bringing over sweets to comfort the losers when the boys sparred, she knew that she could make them happy that she was a part of their group.

Part 10 – Kadaj

Kadaj crossed his arms and sulked, sinking deeper into the couch. The delicious smell of Aeris' cookies wafted through the room, but he stubbornly resisted. She shouldn't be here. She wasn't even a SOLDIER! What right did she have to come in here and act like she was one of them?

He'd asked Sephiroth, but his eldest brother had just looked at him like the answer should be obvious and said: "She's Zack's. And Father wants to study her." But Hojo had barely spent long enough on her to get a proper gene sample before going back to his usual experiments with them and Sephiroth. Admittedly, Kadaj didn't want to complain about the experiments. Hojo had managed to perfect a less intensive version of whatever he'd done to Sephiroth that made him feel like a glowing torch in Kadaj's mind whenever he forgot to shield, and now Kadaj could sit on the couch and know where everyone in the house was. Except Aeris. She didn't belong here. Hojo wasn't one of their group, exactly, but he fit in with the world that Kadaj knew, and he at least was useful.

Aeris didn't belong with them. Kadaj was still sullenly insisting that to himself as he drifted into the other room and stole a cookie off the platter she'd set on the table. Even if she did bake really good food, she still shouldn't be there. He didn't like having his brothers pay attention to some girl instead of to him. He sat on the table and kicked his feet against the chair legs until Sephiroth frowned at him, and then slumped bonelessly off the table, sulking even harder. It wasn't fair!

Footsteps in the hall caught his attention, and he turned to look at Hojo as the man walked in the door, attention fixed on Aeris. "Your father was Dr. Gast, correct?" Hojo asked, an odd smile playing around his mouth. "Fascinating results, simply fascinating. The man wasn't up to my level, of course, but his field of study has certainly yielded some intriguing results. It's really no wonder that you ended up as a nurse, with your talents." His smile was gloating as he looked at Aeris, who was trying unsuccessfully not to appear revolted.

So this was what it meant to want to protect someone weaker than yourself, Kadaj mused, as his vision went red with fury. Perhaps he didn't mind Aeris so much after all. He was moving forward before he thought, blurring toward his adopted father as the man's image blurred in his mind, merging with that of every other scientist who had ever experimented on him. "With adequate materials and information we may be able to sublimate his personality and will to that of Sephiroth." The words rang in his head as he was knocked out of the air, and he came back to himself with a whimper.

His eldest brother was sitting on top of him, peering at him with concerned cat-slit eyes, skin glowing faintly with the force of his agitation. "Kadaj?" His quiet voice banished that other from his mind, and Kadaj relaxed. "Are you all right?"

"Sorry," Kadaj mumbled, flushing. "I just – I thought I was back in the Shinra labs."

His brothers looked at each other, then Loz grinned happily. "Want to go out into the backyard and play?" Kadaj looked up hopefully, and Sephiroth nodded, allowing the young clones to drag him out of the house and pounce on him, initiating a long, exhausting battle for dominance that ended with the four of them in a race for the door and Aeris' brownies.

As the clones relaxed in the living room Sephiroth and Aeris vanished briefly into the lab. When they returned, Aeris was smiling brilliantly, and Sephiroth glowed with an aura of quiet contentment that had Kadaj sitting up in interest. Aeris smiled at them all impartially. "He says that I'm a healer – that I can heal people just by touching them!"

Sephiroth just smiled and sat back in his usual place on the sofa, whereon Kadaj instantly abandoned his perch on the armchair and came to lean against one side as Yazoo and Loz fought over the other side. "She's apparently been doing so for quite some time without realizing it." He clarified, eyes glowing more brightly than ever. Kadaj frowned at the green glow reflected on his skin. Another injection? He'd thought that it was too dangerous, injecting more than a small amount of mako into the human body, but Hojo didn't seem to think that Sephiroth's tolerance for the substance had limits.

"So what did he do to you?" Loz asked the question they all wanted to know, and Sephiroth's smile returned, slow and certain as he held out a hand. Green energy wrapped around it, encasing his fist in a bubble of light, which expanded slowly into a knife, glowing, and translucent. Kadaj leaned over to touch it and jerked his hand back with a hiss, staring at the thin line of blood where he'd touched the blade.

"You did it!" Yazoo recognized it first, as usual. "You've finally managed to make something solid!"

Sephiroth nodded, the energy fading back into his hand. "It's not a complete success. I still can't extend the blade much beyond what I showed you, and it's not something that I could keep up for any length of time, but now that we've gotten this far Father thinks that the rest will be simple. It shouldn't be long now before he's developed something that you'll be able to use as well."

Aeris was already on the phone as Loz whooped and punched the air. "Let's celebrate!"

Setting the phone back on its hook, Aeris spoke up. "Zack and Cloud should be here in a few minutes. I'm going to bake a cake. Who wants to help?"

A little self-consciously Kadaj volunteered. Aeris was all right. He just needed to get used to her, was all. Mostly, though, he liked her baking.

He didn't have to wait long before Zack tore into the kitchen, stole a lick of the batter, and draped himself over Aeris, laughing. The others filtered in afterwards, settling down on chairs and counter tops, filling the room with their presence, and Kadaj felt something inside himself relax, reaching out to embrace them all. His family; his friends. His world.

**End**

Note: The lovely author bacon12 has posted a companion piece to this, called The Reason for Friendship. You can find it on deviantart.


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